Year in ReviewLooking back at fiscal year 2012-13

Advancing Care for ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease—has no cure. But the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Disorders Center at Barrow will offer hope for those affected by these debilitating conditions. Thanks to tremendous donor support, this program is well on its way to becoming a national center of excellence offering patient care, research and medical education.

Ira A. and Mary Lou Fulton made a generous gift of $2.7 million in memory of their son Gregory for construction of the 32,000-square-foot facility that will house the center. The center will offer comprehensive patient services in one convenient location.

Nationally recognized ALS researcher Robert Bowser, PhD, was awarded the John and Betty VanDenburgh Chair of Neuromuscular Disease, funded through Barrow Neurological Foundation. The University of Arizona has also made a generous commitment to collaborate on the center’s more than 30 research studies and clinical trials into causes of and treatments for neuromuscular disorders.

Funding Fresh Starts

From learning to walk again after an injury to regaining speech skills lost to a stroke, hundreds of patients seek a fresh start through Barrow’s rehabilitation programs.

Fiscal year 2013 saw the completion of a project that was spearheaded by benefactors Marsha and Bruce Dyer. The Ashlyn Dyer Aquatic Center includes an indoor therapeutic pool for patients with movement difficulties. The center was made possible by 65 philanthropic gifts, including the Dyers’ lead gift in memory of their daughter, Ashlyn, and major gifts from the Emerald Foundation and the Marley Foundation.

The Emerald Foundation also gave $250,000 for a future expansion of the Center for Transitional NeuroRehabilitation. The center, which helps people with brain injuries rebuild their lives, currently has a four-month waiting list.

Barrow Neurological Foundation continued supporting the Barrow Resource for Acquired Injury to the Nervous System (B.R.A.I.N.S.) Program. The innovative program offers comprehensive, compassionate treatment and rehabilitation to people with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.

Making Research a Reality

With government research funds dwindling, benefactor support is crucial to keeping the hospital’s research programs strong.

The Women’s Board of Barrow Neurological Foundation chose research into the use of deep brain stimulation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as their Special Project for the 2013 Barrow Grand Ball. Neurosurgeon Francisco Ponce, MD, is investigating whether “brain pacemakers” might help reactivate memory circuits in AD patients. In all, the Ball raised more than $2.1 million, most of it for research.

The Beverly and Millard Seldin Family Disc and Spinal Regeneration Laboratory opened, thanks to a $500,000 gift from the Seldins. The lab will support the innovative research of spine surgeon Nicholas Theodore, MD, who is exploring the concept that intervertebral disc disease is a result of both environmental and genetic factors. The Seldin gift agreement includes a first-right-of-refusal addendum for any intellectual property coming from the research, the first gift agreement of its kind for Barrow Neurological Foundation.

Fostering Tomorrow’s Physicians

Today’s medical students and residents are tomorrow’s life-saving physicians. The first class of the Creighton University School of Medicine at St. Joseph’s began their studies in 2012, with five future doctors receiving $10,000 each as Doris Norton Scholars. Longtime benefactors Doris and John Norton also provided funding for Norton Manor, a dedicated space for the new medical school.

To enhance medical education at the hospital, Karl and Stevie Eller funded a major upgrade to the Goldman Auditorium that includes 3D technology and high-definition screens, creating the first medical theater of its kind in the country. Meanwhile, St. Joseph’s Foundation funded an expansion of the Learning Center's simulation laboratory, which now features 12 high-fidelity patient simulators for doctor and nurse training.

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center will continue to train the country’s top movement disorder specialists through three fellowships made possible by a $1.5-million gift from Lynn Diamond and a $1-million gift from the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Building a Better Community

More than a century after St. Joseph’s Hospital was established to meet a community need, the hospital’s Foundations and generous donors continue to provide funding for vital programs for the underserved.

In fiscal year 2013, St. Joseph’s Foundation, along with a grant from St. Luke’s Health Initiative, supported the launch of FUSE (Frequent Users of System Engagement), a pilot program aimed to end the cycle of chronic homelessness and repeated use of the emergency department by high-use homeless patients.

And caring for our community isn’t limited to Arizona. Barrow Neurological Foundation provided support for BIONIC, a mission-based program in which Barrow neurosurgeons bring supplies and skills to a Nicaraguan hospital.

The Phoenix Suns Charities awarded a $100,000 Playmaker Award to the Starlight Children’s Foundation Arizona for an upgrade of the Family Room in St. Joseph’s Nursery Intensive Care Unit (NyICU). The bright new space lets parents and infants bond in a home-like atmosphere. Benefactors also helped fund renovation of the hospital’s fourth-floor into a new NyICU, which offers private as well as semi-private rooms. The rooms can be managed for light- and sound-sensitive infants, encouraging healthy development from the start.

Long-time benefactor Angelita’s Amigos partnered with Shelby and Stephen Butterfield to remodel five rooms in the Antenatal Unit, where pregnant moms with health risks spend weeks or months before delivery. The inviting rooms offer sleeper sofas, desks, private bathrooms and other comforts of home.